TBS: Warmth
by violets92
Summary: Part one in The Bibbi Series. Set during Twilight. What if Kate had to take Tony home instead of him going down to Abby's lab? [TATE]


Hey everyone...well, this is my longest oneshot yet. Took me aaaaages to write.

This is part one of what I'm calling "The Bibbi Series." Purely because Bibbi gave me the ideas. I apologise in advance to her. The idea sort of got out of hand. Now it's a 3700 word oneshot that I cannot cut down for the life of me. I like it though.

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"Well, on the plus side, he is...smart, brave, not to mention... kind of hot. Hey, you know, in a different world, I could see myself marrying someone like him. " Tony's laughter ceased as he felt a cold sensation envelop his head.

"Very funny." He stood up, shaking from the unexpected cold. Kate was about to reply, however, her sentence was cut short by Gibbs entering the Bullpen with a fresh cup of steaming hot coffee.

"I thought I told you to lie down."

"I was..." Gibbs gave him a look. "I am."

"Not here. Kate is driving you home." Kate stopped sniggering and looked up at her boss in surprise.

"What?" Their reply was simultaneous.

"Yeah. Is there a problem with that DiNozzo?"

"Well, no…not really, but shouldn't Kate be on Protection Detail, protecting…well, you?"

"I can look after myself DiNozzo. Go home. Take Kate-"

"No." Kate stepped forward in front of Tony.

"Agent Todd-"

"The Director gave me orders. I'm to stay at NCIS-"

"I'll take care of the Director, Kate. Take Tony home. God knows he needs some proper sleep." Kate sighed. There was no point arguing with Gibbs when he'd made his mind up.

"Fine." She gathered her bags and began to walk out. "Coming DiNozzo?" He quickly grabbed his backpack, the only thing in reach, and ran after her.

The elevator was out of order. Kate sighed in frustration and Tony groaned. He'd forgotten about that. The stupid machines were down for maintenance. The idiotic building managers just _had_ to work on the elevators right after he got the Plague didn't they? He cursed again. Maybe he _should_ have taken that extra week of sick leave…

"Tony…are you sure you're okay to walk up the stairs?" Kate placed a hand on his upper arm. "We could go to my place if you-"

"I'll be fine Kate. I'm not weak." He gave her a stubborn look that wasn't nearly as lighthearted as it should have been, and made for the stairs. Kate rolled her eyes and stepped in front of him, effectively stopping him from moving any further

"This is not about how weak or macho you are Tony. It's about your health. You were lying in a hospital bed less than two weeks ago with the _Pneumonic Plague_. Just because you can't climb six flights of stairs, it doesn't mean you're weak. It just means you're recovering."

"You don't know if I can or can't climb six flights of stairs yet. You haven't even let me try."

"Okay, but just…take it easy. I don't want to explain to Gibbs why you're back in hospital and requiring another week of sick leave." Tony rolled his eyes, moved past her and began to walk up to his apartment.

Kate soon discovered, to both of their dismays, that she had been right. Tony barely got up the third flight of stairs before almost collapsing. Luckily, she had quick reflexes and managed to stop him falling.

"Tony…" He looked at her, his eyes glassy and unfocused.

"I don't feel so good." He was breathing heavily and Kate knew he could barely stand, let alone climb any further. He coughed violently and the black marks under his eyes showed themselves, darker than ever.

"You _had _to be stubborn." Kate bit her lip and shifted under his weight.

"Katie…"

"You shouldn't be talking." She cut him off from whatever desperate, dying speech he was planning to make and let out a breath. Slowly detaching her arm from his shoulder, she reached into her pocket and placed her hand on her cell phone.

"Are you okay to stand?" She asked. Tony grunted and slowly eased himself off his partner's arm and after swaying for a few seconds; he grabbed hold of the cold, metal hand rail and nodded. Kate let a small, half-relieved smile creep onto her face as she dialed a number.

"Hey Ducky." Tony glared at her. This would be his third time being checked over by the doctor, and the fact that they were friends wasn't the point. Tony really had no desire to get the circulation in his arm cut off by a stupid blood pressure machine…thingo.

"We, ah, had a bit of trouble getting up to Tony's apartment. The elevators were down for maintenance and…" Kate trailed of and became red in the face. Obviously Ducky was reprimanding her from the other end of the phone. Tony smirked. Payback was so good.

"Okay. Thanks Ducky." A few second later, she hung up and noticed the rather hostile look on Tony's face.

"What?"

"You just had to call Ducky didn't you?" After a few seconds of trying to remain professional, her façade broke and she let out a small laugh.

"That's what you get for being a stubborn, macho idiot, Tony."

With Ducky's help, Kate had managed to get Tony into his apartment however, as soon as the Medical Examiner was gone, Tony fell into the room and began to cough violently again. Kate bit her lip and looked on as her partner gripped the wall as if it was his lifeline. He was sweating and tears were running down his face from the pain. He avoided looking at Kate and she avoided looking at him, not only for his privacy, but because she knew Tony would be embarrassed at his body's display of weakness. Thirty seconds later, the coughing began to die down and Kate turned around to find that he didn't look any better.

"Tony?" Kate tentatively reached out to put a hand on his back.

"I…" He let out a small cough and averted his eyes. "I'm fine. I just…I need to go to the bathroom." He slowly walked down the hall. Kate watched him until he turned a corner and she heard a door shut.

She immediately sat down on the dark brown, expensive looking couch and froze. She tried to stem the flow of emotions rushing like a river through her head, however it was useless. It just made the tears fall down her face more quickly. She cursed the sign of weakness and she felt a drop of water fall onto her hand. He wasn't getting any better. He was still sick. Kate sniffed and wiped her face, only to have more tears fall. She let out a half laugh, half sob and suddenly she was back in her nightmares, in isolation.

"Kate?" A hoarse voice interrupted her thoughts. She refused to turn to him though. The he would see-

"Kate, are you crying?" Well, there goes that plan.

"No…no, I just…"

"You just what? Have a hose attached to the inside of your eye?" Kate smiled softly. He was still DiNozzo.

"Oh yeah. That would be it." She felt the couch drop as Tony sat down next to her.

"Kate? Are you okay? What's going on?" God, how much Kate hated this serious side. It meant pity. She hated pity.

"I…I don't know, Tony." Another cascade of tears. She registered his arms cautiously wrapping around her shaking shoulders and forgetting the weakness it showed, Kate buried her head in his shoulder.

He smelt safe. He smelt like…Tony.

"You're still sick." She whispered. Tony shrugged.

"I know, but why are you crying over it?"

"Before…God Tony, I've never been that terrified in my life. I thought you were going to die back there." She didn't let go of him. That would mean showing him her face.

"No way. I'm not going to die on a flight of stairs. DiNozzos don't die on staircases!" He tried to lighten the mood, but it failed. Kate shook even more.

"Come on Kate. I'll be fine. You know I will."

"No. I don't. You may be a DiNozzo, but that doesn't make you immortal." She shook her head and let go of him, staring in front of her at the miserably decorated coffee table.

"I always thought, being an NCIS agent, being in law enforcement, there was a chance any one of us could die any minute. I'd been in the Secret Service. I thought I was prepared, that I could handle it…but then, it happened. You opened that stupid envelope and the next minute you're lying in an isolation ward with me and those freaking UV lights." Another few tears rolled down her cheeks and she felt Tony put an arm on her shoulder.

"And…I couldn't handle it." She let out another half laugh, half sob and immediately her head was enveloped in Tony's shoulder again.

"Kate…"

"I haven't slept in a week." She continued as if he'd never spoken. "Every time I try to, it's just those stupid blue lights and the two of us. I think I can safely say that I know what a nightmare is now." She laughed in irony. Less than two years ago, she'd had no idea what a nightmare was. Tony frowned.

"You've had nightmares?"

"Of course I had nightmares. You were dying Tony. I can't just get over that. I should, but I can't. It's a weakness-"

"You're _not _weak." He looked at her and smiled. "You're recovering. There's a difference."

"Doesn't feel like it." She felt a hand on the bottom of her chin. Suddenly she was looking into the brilliant blue eyes of her partner.

"Listen to me. You. Are. Not. Weak." He searched her eyes for a sign of acceptance. "Hear me?" He reluctantly let go of her chin and she gave him a mock salute.

"If you say so." And for the first time in over a week, they both smiled true, genuine smiles.

Two hours later, Tony and Kate still sat on his couch, watching Edward Scissorhands. Tony's choice of course, not that Kate was complaining. For thirty minutes, she had been drifting off, regardless of how brilliant Johnny Depp was. Tony hadn't been far off sleep either.

"Wanna head off to bed?" Tony asked, absentmindedly stroking Kate's shoulder.

"If you mean to go to sleep then yes, if for any other reason, then no." Tony smirked and Kate smiled.

"Well, I did mean sleep, but I wouldn't mind-' He was cut off by a sharp blow to his stomach.

"Ow."

"Serves you right." She smirked. "Where are the blankets? I have to set up the couch." She began to walk down the hall but Tony got up and grabbed her arm.

"No you don't. You're sleeping in my room." He smiled and Kate tried to protest, but he cut her off. "I'll be fine on the couch. You're the one with the drained emotions and all that." Kate rolled her eyes, but said nothing.

"Where are you meant to sleep?"

"In the guest room. It's pretty much exactly the same as my room except, less formal."

They went their separate way to get ready for bed, before Kate walked into Tony's room in her extra large NCIS top, to see Tony leaning against the doorway smiling and holding a teddy.

"Need this?" He smirked.

"What? That's not even mine!"

"Oh I know…it's mine. The only remotely personal thing my parents bought for me. His name is Tom, you know, After Thomas Magnum…or it could just be after Tom Selleck. Either way it still works in the Magnum P.I. sense." Kate laughed.

You named your _teddy bear _after a TV show character?"

"What? He was the best!" Tony's voice softened as he gestured to his teddy bear. "He was always good when it came to nightmares. I figured I could let you have him for a night. He's been locked away for too long. I reckon he could use a girl" Kate smiled, somewhat touched by the gesture, but still hesitated. Tony grinned.

"Come on. Take him. I promise I won't tell anyone you slept with a teddy bear for one night." Kate rolled her eyes and reached for the brown toy's arm.

"Thanks." As she took hold of the well worn bear, she could practically see the memories of a ten year old Tony, scared in the middle of the night holding the teddy as if it was all he had. She knew the bear had a long history. She almost let a tear slip down her cheek. Tony noticed.

"Kate? What's wrong?" She sniffed and looked up, suddenly feeling ten years old again.

"Tom was all you had, wasn't he?" Tony looked down. She lifted his chin up with her hand.

"One day, Kate, I promise I'll tell you about my family, but it's a long story, and for now, we both need to sleep." He smiled a humorless smile and walked out.

"Tony?" He turned.

"Yeah?"

"Oh, nothing, I just wanted to say goodnight." He smiled.

"Yeah, goodnight Katie."

Approximately half an hour later, Kate woke up, sweating profusely and breathing heavily. Isolation…blue, everywhere was blue, and when she looked at Tony, his lips had been turning blue. She wiped a stray tear from her cheek and looked at the teddy bear. It sat looking at her in an almost comforting way. She smiled and immediately knew why Tony loved the bear. She turned back and looked at her shaking hands. Teddies were one thing, but right now, she had someone else to see.

Padding down the hallway, Kate turned to a closed door, hearing light snoring on the other end of it. She smiled. Blackmail. Tentatively, she put her hand on the doorknob and turned it until the door began to open. The first view she got of Tony was one in which he sat up in bed holding a gun to her chest. As soon as he'd established who the person was, he let out a breath and switched his bedside lamp on. Kate smirked.

"I guess I'm not the only one who sleeps with a gun under my pillow." Tony chuckled.

"I'm a light sleeper." He frowned thoughtfully. "What are you doing in here Kate?"

"I just…" She trailed off and then groaned. "I had another nightmare, okay?" Suddenly she was mad at herself for seeming so weak. Tony bit his lip. Kate knew he didn't really know what to say.

"Wanna talk about it?" She doubted Tony needed to hear about himself dying so she just shook her head.

"Sure?" She nodded. Tony grinned. "What happened to Tom?"

"He's sitting on my pillow and as great as he is," She smiled. "He's not the person I really need to see right now."

"You needed to check I was alive or something?" Tony's voice wasn't unkind, but it still held a tone of humor.

"Pretty much."

"Well…here I am." He shrugged.

"Hey, do you mind if I…maybe…stay in here?" Tony hesitated and cleared his throat.

"Ah…I don't know Kate." He frowned.

"Please?" She scowled for a second. "What do you think is going to happen Tony? What do you think I'm going to do to you?" He smirked, but quickly sobered up again.

"Oh trust me; it's not you I'm worried about." Kate's angry glare softened and she sighed.

"Look, Tony, I normally wouldn't ask. Trust me." She laughed softly. "But I'm not going to get back to sleep unless my subconscious knows you're not lying in some hospital bed with a million UV lights trying to fend off the Pneumonic Plague."

"And I normally wouldn't say no, but…" He trailed off and Kate took a step closer to the bed.

"Then why are you saying no now, Tony? It's not as if I'm asking you to have sex with me. I just need to know that you're…there." She frowned at how stupid the sentence sounded.

"I just…I don't know what to think anymore." He had the same, blank expression that DiNozzo always had when he was being serious. "You stayed with me, and I have no idea why, but something changed." Kate's eyebrows rose. Tony smiled slightly.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to go all Bold and the Beautiful or anything like that." Kate let out a small laugh. He continued "I don't know what happened. It just did, and I really don't want anything to change because everything was good before, but if you sleep in here, I have to warn you, I might not be able to resist being myself and I really don't want to hurt you Kate." Tony looked at her cautiously, as if he was expecting her to yell at him and run out, but she didn't.

She smiled.

"Believe it or not, I've been dealing with you for two years Tony, so if you _are_ going to end up being yourself, I know how to handle it." She smirked and slipped beneath the covers of his bed. She could vaguely see him grin and pull the covers further over her, before turning out the light and enveloping her in his arms.

The next morning, Kate woke up to see the other side of Tony's bed empty, and surprisingly neat. She let herself panic for a second before sitting up and realizing that there was the unmistakable sound of Snow Patrol drifting down the hall. She smiled. Tony actually knew what good music was…

"Morning." She yawned as she reached the end of the hallway and stood by the kitchen door.

"Oh. Hey. I was wondering when you would get up. I've almost finished breakfast." He turned and gave her a grin. Kate smiled. She'd never actually seen him look as if he was just out of bed. She had to admit, he carried the look very well.

"Pancakes?" He nodded and grinned. "Snow Patrol?" His grin became even wider.

"You don't like them?"

"Of course I do. I just didn't know you had a half decent taste in music." Tony put his hand over his heart and feigned heartbreak.

"That hurt Kate." She smirked.

"As long as it didn't hurt so much that I don't get pancakes." Tony laughed.

"Whatever happened to you being a health freak?" Kate glared.

"I was never a health freak, I just didn't eat crap. However, those pancakes smell really good and I'm hungry." He smiled.

"Well you're in luck, because they're done."

Ten minutes later, Tony and Kate were sitting on the couch watching the rest of Edward Scissorhands, however neither of them were paying much attention. Tony was breathing heavily and Kate couldn't help but notice he felt particularly cold.

"Tony? Are you okay?" He looked down at her and nodded slightly.

"I'm fine."

"You're freezing." She touched his arm. It felt like ice.

"Generally, that's what happens when you get the Plague." He rolled his eyes and Kate glared.

"I'm getting some blankets." And before Tony could stop her, Kate was half way down the hall, pulling out numerous warm, woolen blankets. She returned a few seconds later and sat down. Tony could feel himself warming up even before she had placed any of the fabric on them.

"Thanks." He mumbled and went back to watching the movie. A few seconds later, he felt Kate's arms wrap around his waist and he looked down to see her smile.

"What? You weren't getting any warmer…" He put his hands up in defense.

"Hey…I'm not complaining." He smirked and Kate smiled slightly.

"Good." She leant her head against his shoulder and zoned out.

He was right. Things had changed since isolation. How could they not? Tony had been so close to dying and she'd seen it. It had been so hard just to sit there and watch. The feeling of helplessness was what hurt the most. It was literally her worst nightmare to sit there and watch someone…watch _Tony_ die. She thanked God every day that he pulled through with a fifteen percent chance. God, it'd been so _close_.

"Katie?" She was brought out of her trance by Tony's voice in her ear. She jumped slightly at the close proximity.

"Sorry. What were you saying?"

"The movie's over." She sighed. "Wanna watch another one." She would, but to be honest, she really couldn't be bothered getting up form the warmth of the couch and Tony.

"Mm, I don't mind." She leant further back into his shoulder as he laughed slightly.

"Who woulda thought? Kate Todd snuggling up to me?" He smirked. "I guess you just can't resist me after all." She laughed and thought about hitting him, but she didn't have the energy or the will.

"I guess I can't." He looked at her in shock and she smirked.

"Gotcha." She said. Tony glared.

"Oh you're mean Katie."

"Mhmm." She accidentally touched his neck and discovered he was still cold. Suddenly, Tony felt her jump and start pushing the blankets back over to him to make sure he was warm enough.

"Kate…you're not my mother. You don't need to-"

"I want to Tony. I do need to. If you were sick because of me…" She trailed off, suddenly panicking again. "If you were back in isolation…Oh God." She sucked in a deep horrified breath and hurriedly started grabbing more of the blankets. Tony caught her hand and made her freeze, an inch away from him.

"Kate…" She had a tear running down her cheek. He was close enough to almost feel it on his own face, so gently letting go of her hand, he touched his hand to her face and wiped it away.

"Tony-" Her eyes looked terrified. It was as if she was back in a nightmare again and it scared the crap out of him, seeing Kate Todd panic over a past memory. So he did the only thing he could think of to calm her…

He kissed her.

And just like that, Kate Todd fell in love.

A minute later, Tony broke away to see Kate smile. He smiled back, just because she was calm. No tears on her face, no fear in her eyes, no thoughts of nightmares. It was just them, and it made him feel warmer than he had in weeks.

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A/N: What's you think...Bibbi especially. Please review! All of you! 


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